Debt funds, typically, do not give double-digit returns. That's why equity funds are recommended to balance your portfolio. But conservative investors do not like too many equity funds as they can be volatile. Is there a middle ground? Enter conservative hybrid funds. Known as monthly income plans years ago, these funds invest up to 25 percent in equity and the rest in debt. They have seen sustained inflows over the last year on the back of rising markets. These schemes have given 14.52 percent return in the year ended August 17, 2021, as per Value Research.